Beyond the Mistletoe: A Christmas Romance (Beyond Love Book 7) Read online

“What do you mean perfect for me?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at not only my boss, but one of my closest friends. It was a tricky spot to be in. Not to mention Lily was one of Gabby’s best friends and a bridesmaid. It would be impossible to ignore this mystery setup. And I certainly couldn’t ditch the blind date at the last moment like I usually did. I was stuck.

  Gabby fidgeted, but she couldn’t hide her smile as she continued with the details of their plan. “Well, Lily thinks she’s a matchmaker and has found someone she thinks you’ll like.”

  The pit in my stomach grew to the size of a gully. Dating was not my thing.

  “I told you about my online dating fiasco—”

  “And how you canceled your profile after only two weeks. You didn’t even give it a chance.”

  “Because the experience was horrible. I didn’t even bother going on the last date I accepted with a new guy.”

  “Well, hopefully you at least canceled with the guy and didn’t just stand him up.”

  My cheeks reddened.

  “I’d forgotten to message him until the next morning, and I did feel horrible about it. But I got so busy at the bakery that when I got home, Bodie needed to go for a walk, and before I knew it, I’d crawled into bed with a good book.”

  “Are you serious?” Gabby’s eyes widened. “That’s horrible. He’s probably wounded for life.”

  “Doubtful, but I do feel really bad about it.”

  “Yeah. It sounds like it.” She rolled her eyes. “But you can’t blame the bakery on forgetting that one. You’re sabotaging yourself and your dating life. Plain and simple. Your subconscious has decided that dating isn’t important.”

  “I’m not sabotaging myself. I’m content living a blissful existence on the island.”

  “On one of the smallest islands in Washington tucked away from most of civilization. It sounds to me like you’re turning into a hermit.”

  “And precisely what would be wrong with turning into a hermit?” I crossed my arms and flashed a grin.

  Gabby groaned and shook her head, but she pressed on. “Anyway, the guy will be at our party at the lodge.”

  “The bachelor/bachelorette party? Please tell me you’re kidding.” I slapped my head with my palm.

  “Not kidding at all. Come on.” She grinned. “It’ll be good for you.”

  “It’s one thing to be set up on a blind date over coffee, but it’s quite another to be expected to see the guy for an entire weekend. What if we don’t hit it off, and then forever after, we’ll be dodging one another. Can you say awkward?”

  “Not only can I say it, I can spell it.” Gabby wriggled her brows, and I wanted to slug her, all in good fun of course. “And you’d only have to dodge one another for the weekend if it went belly-up. He’s unable to make it to the wedding so don’t be overly dramatic.”

  I groaned. Gabby was the sweetest girl I knew, but she also had a no-nonsense manner that kicked me in the gut at moments.

  “Sometimes the best things in life blossom from getting out of your comfort zone.”

  “Seriously, this could go really wrong, and I’ll be stuck up in the mountains with no way to escape.”

  “But we’ll all be there with you,” she assured me.

  “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” I laughed. “My dating life has now become a spectator sport.”

  Bodie sensed my pain and jumped off the couch to waddle his way over to me. I bent down to give him a grateful scratch but realized all he had planned was to sniff out the cookie crumbs.

  Traitor.

  “It’ll be fine. He’s really cute, and he’s a lawyer.”

  I cringed.

  “What?” Gabby asked, almost offended.

  “My ex was an accountant.”

  “So?”

  “I tend to stay away from any men in suits.”

  “Who are you kidding?” Gabby chuckled. “You stay away from all men. Period.”

  “I’m not that bad.”

  Gabby’s brow arched.

  “Well, maybe I am.” I sighed and shook my head. “I guess if he’s a total dud, I can hide out with Bodie in my hotel room.”

  “Not on my watch, but yes. Tell yourself whatever you need to in order to get to the lodge. This gingerbread cookie is fantastic.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Not my recipe?” she asked.

  “I added orange zest.”

  “Wow. We might need to include this in our daily selection.” She grinned. “Would you mind?”

  “I’d be flattered.”

  Gabby stood up and walked over to a painting I’d just finished for her and Jason. I’d propped it on a side table near the television. It was one of their wedding gifts, but I’d left it out to see if Gabby would gravitate toward it or not. Paintings were so personal, and what I felt they might like, they might hate. I was hoping my little test wouldn’t backfire.

  “Is this a new piece?” Gabby asked. Her eyes studied the watercolor in front of her. I’d found a photo from when Jason and Gabby went to Utah for a ski trip. I wasn’t sure if she’d recognize the area, but I thought it was a perfect scene to paint with a rustic lodge centering the work, and snowflakes falling around the pine trees and cobblestone pathways.

  “It is. I’ve finally gotten away from painting angry scenes,” I said with a chuckle.

  “I’m in love. Absolutely in love. It transports me to such a calm place.”

  “It’s in a new series.” My body relaxed, and my insides filled with joy. The wedding gift would be a success.

  She nodded, still staring at the piece. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Now, you have to promise me that if we do decide to move forward and open up another bakery and espresso shop here on your island, you won’t hermitify.” She came back over and took a seat.

  “Hermitify? That’s not even a word.”

  “It is when I use it with confidence. But seriously. I could see you never leaving the island.”

  “That doesn’t make me a hermit. I’d see people every single day.”

  “That doesn’t count.”

  “Yes, it does.” I gave her an evil look.

  She shook her head and let out an disgruntled sigh, her eyes falling to my tree.

  “Did you know your tree has a certain tilt to it?” she asked.

  “Thanks for noticing. If you move the branches, you’ll see I tied twine around the trunk and nailed it to the wall so it should last through the holidays, tilt or not.”

  Gabby giggled, and I glanced around my tiny house. Actually it was more of a cabin—crooked tree included—and I loved every inch of it. I loved what I’d made of the place and how I made it just for me. Becoming a hermit sounded like an amazing existence. Was enjoying my own company more than others really a bad thing? I didn’t think so.

  Gabby caught my expression. “Anyway, don’t worry about this blind date thingy. Either it will work or it won’t. Be yourself. Lily wouldn’t lead you astray, or she’d have me to deal with.”

  “How good-looking is he?” I asked.

  “That’s the spirit.” She batted her lashes. “I’d say he’s an eleven on a scale of one-to-ten. And he’s three years older than you with no kids and no ex-wives.”

  “Why hasn’t he married?”

  Gabby huffed a frustrated grunt.

  “Sorry. You’re right. I do sabotage myself,” I said, realizing I’d already started looking for a reason to write him off.

  She nodded in agreement. “Whatever the guy has in his past is the exact opposite of what you want, regardless of how contradictory it is.”

  “Alright. Alright. I get it.” I waved my hands in protest. “I’ll go into this with an open mind and an excuse to have a good time.”

  “I say you should go into the weekend with no expectations beyond having fun. No strings attached. What happens, happens. Even if it’s nothing more than having a good time and never thinking about him again.”

 
“So how does Lily know him?”

  “He dated one of Lily’s coworkers when she was in Portland back at the job she hated. Anyway, she heard about how amazing he was in bed every Monday morning, like clockwork.”

  “So that was why Lily thought of me?” I giggled.

  It had been a really, really long time since I’d been with a man.

  Like a really long time.

  Years.

  Many of them.

  Combined to create a really long stretch.

  Of time that made me forget what it was like to be with a man.

  “So what happened with the girlfriend?” I asked. Not sure I wanted to hear the answer.

  “She dumped him for the son of the boss.”

  “The dirtbag Lily told us about?”

  Gabby nodded. “Some women just don’t learn from others’ mistakes.”

  “Or they think they can change the men.”

  “True. Anyway, the guy—his name is Eric—left Portland and wound up working for Lily’s husband up here.”

  “Oh great. It keeps getting better and better. So if this goes haywire, I’m really in trouble.”

  “It’s not like that. No one is going into this with any preconceived notions. I’m telling you, this guy is a great way to get back into the dating world.”

  “Maybe I could use a sexy guy to bring me out of…” I stopped myself. I didn’t know what I needed to be brought out of.

  “Out of your sexual hiatus.” She finished for me.

  “Exactly. Hiatus. That sounds planned and like I was in control.”

  “By all accounts, I think you’ve been completely in control of the hiatus. Since I’ve known you, I’ve seen the regulars who stop by the bakery to snoop around, and it’s not only the cookies they’re after.”

  I shivered at the thought. I had accumulated quite the assortment of flirters while working at Gabby’s bakery. Most of them had canes and backup pairs of teeth on their nightstands.

  “Are you talking about the seniors who show up during Senior Happy Hour who love to flirt with me?”

  “Well, those fine gentlemen will be disappointed with your absence when we get this new location up and running,” she teased. “But no. I wasn’t referring to your elderly admirers. You’re just too blind to see the ones who are more age-appropriate.”

  Gabby glanced at the clock. It was time for her to turn right around and catch the last ferry of the night. And contrary to my hermit tendencies, I was sad at the thought.

  “Promise me that you’re not mad.” Gabby stood up and glanced at Bodie who’d wandered back to the couch.

  “Not mad at all. I think it’s sweet that you and your friends are worried about my dating life. I just don’t want Lily to be devastated when this blind date backfires.”

  “Not when, my dear Emily. It won’t.” She grinned from ear to ear. Her happiness was infectious as was the hopeless romantic inside of her. “Because you’re going into it with no expectations except to have fun.”

  “Right. Fun is exactly the word I’d use to meet a complete stranger that is a potential candidate for sex where I have to laugh at his jokes, stare into his eyes, and lick my lips seductively at all the right moments.”

  “Well, when you put it that way, there might be more reasons about why you’re still single than I knew about.”

  “I still think Bodie is the ideal mate,” I said, ignoring her latest assessment.

  “And that, my friend, is the problem. Bodie is not a mate. Bodie is more like a child. There really could be more issues here than I realized.”

  I smacked her arm playfully, and we laughed on the way to the front door where she gave me another squeeze and headed off to catch the ferry.

  Maybe she was right.

  What if all I needed was a carefree weekend where I never had to look back? I’d certainly done enough rearview mirroring over the last six years and was ready for a change.

  Chapter Three

  I hauled out my bags from the open trunk of my car while Bodie jumped around excited to be in the middle of a snowstorm. The ride up to the lodge had been clear and easy until about ten miles away when the road turned to a sheet of ice, and the snow created a thick white curtain. I had two options, either forge ahead or turn around and hope I’d beat the storm back off the mountain. I’d never managed to beat a snowstorm. I was always the vehicle stuck in a ditch with the flashers, and I certainly wouldn’t take that risk with Bodie in the car so it made the decision pretty easy. However, I was completely frazzled, and my nerves were fried. All I wanted was a hard cider and a warm fire.

  I had no idea if any of the other guests had arrived, or if they’d even be able to get here. Gabby had been looking forward to this week so much, I hoped nothing got in her way to have the wedding of her dreams, but so far it didn’t look like the weather Gods were working in her favor.

  “Bodie, is that you?” Jason’s voice boomed through the air, and I turned to see a faint shadow making his way toward us. I let go of the leash, and Bodie took off in Jason’s direction, looking like nothing more than a black dot bouncing around. Bodie chortled with glee as Jason bent down to dole out pets, and I lugged my bags over to them.

  “When did you guys get up here?” I asked Jason, who stood back up as Bodie flailed around his invisible bubble for more love. He was a bit of an attention hound.

  “Last night. Maybe around six or so. I can tell you it looked nothing like this. We had blue skies and crisp temperatures ushering us along on the ride up. I’m so glad you made it up here safely.” Jason gave me a quick squeeze and took both of my bags as we trudged across the icy parking lot.

  “How is Gabby holding up with the weather?” I pulled on the oversized pine doors, and a warm breeze smelling of apples and cinnamon swirled around us as we walked into the lodge. I walked up to the counter with Bodie by my side. He was such a well-trained rescue.

  “I think she’s secretly relieved,” he confessed.

  “Really?”

  He nodded and placed my bags on a cart the bellboy had pushed over.

  “Meet us in the bar after you get settled. There’s a whole bunch of us at the far end by the fireplace getting the festivities started.”

  “Will do.” I gave him a slight wave as the woman at the front desk checked me in and asked all the standard questions. She handed over a small gift bag for Bodie, and I bent over to let him get a good sniff before a cold blast of air from behind sent a startling chill up my spine. It was as if the weather was getting worse by the second.

  In walked a very attractive man, and by all accounts, he matched Lily’s description perfectly. He was dressed in slacks and a cream wool sweater. His blond hair was neatly cut and his eyes were stunning, too stunning.

  I quickly spun around and faced the woman behind the counter. The chill turned from cold to sizzling as a wave of embarrassment rattled my bones thinking the man behind me could possibly be my blind date, Eric.

  I wasn’t ready. I was still wearing a pair of black sweatpants, and an orange oversized cardigan peeked out from under my overly fluffy and very silver goose down jacket. This wasn’t the first impression I’d planned on giving, but here I was in my road-trip best.

  At least I didn’t have to worry about him having misguided expectations once he put two and two together who I was. It just might make the whole weekend go even smoother than I thought as he politely backs out of this whole fiasco.

  “Room 315, Ms. Darman. Take the elevators down the hall to floor three, and your room will be on the right, seven doors down. You have a view of the mountain from the living room and a bit of the golf course from the bedroom.”

  Before I had a chance to thank her, Bodie tugged on the leash toward the unsuspecting man. I dropped Bodie’s gift bag, scattering the poopbags and dog biscuits all over the wood floor, right as Bodie began jumping on the poor guy.

  “Bodie, no.” I tugged on his leash, and Bodie minded immediately as I bent over and started shoving
his undeserved gifts back into the bag. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Not a problem. I love dogs.” He smiled and bent over, helping me stuff Bodie’s gifts back where they belonged. “I’m sure he’s just a little excited about being somewhere new.”

  I nodded and glanced back at the man whose expression turned from being amused to horrified. I followed his gaze to find Bodie lifting his leg on the potted ficus next to him.

  A shrill scream erupted from my lungs commanding Bodie to stop and drop, which he did. But it was too late.

  He’d already finished.

  Here I stood in the middle of a five-star resort, gracious enough to allow me to bring Bodie with a hellacious deposit, and he pees right in front of the front-desk person and my potential date.

  My cheeks were so hot I swore they were melting off the bone. I stood up and looked at the woman behind the counter, hoping she wouldn’t make it any worse than it already was.

  “I’m so sorry. He never does that. Do you—”

  “Happens more than you would know.” The woman smiled kindly and handed me a roll of paper towels and a trash bag as her fingers dialed housekeeping. To say I was mortified wouldn’t do justice to the onslaught of emotions that stabbed their way into me. So instead of trying to save face, I mopped up Bodie’s mess quickly and grabbed my room card off the counter before escaping.

  “Thank you for helping. I’m so sorry,” I muttered to both her and the man who was back to wearing a large grin. He gave me a slight nod, and I knew if that was Eric, I would never live this down.

  Ever.

  “Come on, Bodie,” I mumbled and tugged on his leash. He pranced by my side with not a care in the world as we managed the walk of shame to the elevators.

  He’d shown that guy who the real man of the lodge was, and apparently that was Bodie.

  It was odd really. Maybe a sign from above. I’d finally given myself a hall pass, a reason to let loose over the weekend, and this was my introduction to the man I’d decided to seduce. I’d planned on sneaking down hotel corridors doing my own walk of shame for reasons that didn’t involve cleaning up after my pooch.

  And now that fantasy was over.

  Blown to smithereens by an overprotective rescue pooch.